The ABCs of Connor Temple
by AnomalyDetected
Summary: A to Z of the character Connor Temple. Includes some back story, Abby/Connor fluff, "after" Primeval entries, and more! I haven't seen one of these around so I thought hey, I'll make one!
1. Introduction

**ABCs OF CONNOR TEMPLE**

**Introduction.**

If you took one look at Connor Temple, you wouldn't see anything. You'd just see an eccentric child trying to fit in with the world. But that? That wasn't who he was on the inside, he was complicated, he knew. There were many things about him, many things he'd never tell anyone. No one but Abby…she would listen, she'd listen all day if she had to, if he wanted her too.

That's what he loved about her. Everyone else saw a man that was in perfect condition…no one saw what he really was. _Broken_. No one but her.

Someone once told him that a list to organize his thoughts would help him more than anything...and he was willing to do anything. So he created a list A - Z. It was spur of the moment thinking and that someone was right.

**Author's note: Hopefully after I'm done with this, I can go back to focusing on "The Breaking Point" finish that up, see what other work I have left to complete on this site and then introduce some of my new stories that I'm extremely excited about! :D**

**Hope you enjoy and continue to enjoy this story!  
PS. No, this will not be told from Connor's point of view.**


	2. A Abandonment

_**A – Abandonment**_

He was an eight year old boy, his father was his hero and his mum was his best friend. That was the usual case, wasn't it? He heard the yelling and screaming but his mind couldn't fully process anything. He was smart for his age, but social interaction still confused the young boy, as it would any child, genius ability or not.  
It didn't sink in until he heard his mum scream 'Then leave! See if I care, but if you leave me, you're leaving Connor too! And don't you dare try to wriggle your way back into his life! It only confuses the child,"

Then he heard a string of swear words coming from his dad, the front door slam, and the truck start. That was his father's favorite thing, his truck. Connor used to help him fix it up, he'd hand him the wrench, the oil, he'd twist and turn a few things and his father would compliment him, say he was brilliant…and just like that, he was gone in the very same truck.

The eight year old walked quietly into his parent's bedroom and looked at his mother. She was crying…he'd never seen that before. He crawled into the bed and wrapped his arms around her, that was how people comforted, wasn't it?  
"Where's daddy gone?" Connor whispered.  
"I don't know," She kissed his head gently. "He's abandoning us."  
"What's that mean?"  
"He may never come back, Con…"

The eight year old stopped asking questions, he just held his mum tighter. Not because she needed it, but because he did. Why would anyone leave their family? Did his father not like him? Did he do something wrong? Say something wrong? He didn't know and he never found out either because his mum was right. He did never come back. Connor grew up thinking his father just never cared for him, he just tossed the memories of ice-cream on Sundays and fixing up a truck, tossed candy floss and rugby away, just...tried to forget it all.

No one just abandons their family...unless they never cared to begin with.


	3. B Bullies

_**B – Bullies**_

In his life he'd met quite a lot of them. The ones that would beat him up and tease him, the ones that would intimidate him to do their homework and their tests, there were the ones who laughed at him for asking for extra food or the holes in his clothing, then there were the subtle ones. The ones that tried to trip him and make it look like it wasn't them, the ones that talked about him behind his back, he'd experience all those types of bullies through out school.

He wanted to say he loved school because the teachers were somewhat kind and the work wasn't too hard, but the other kids literally made it impossible to even like. It was pure torture getting up out of bed everyday, what was the point? All that was going to happen was he was going to complete some work, get punched in the stomach, get his lunch tossed to the floor, and get laughed at for anything and everything.

They made him sick, the bullies. They made him want to stay home everyday, made him cry and plead, beg his mum for one chance not to go to school, but she never let him stay. Said he couldn't, that his education was too important. But it was probably really because she couldn't home school him…she was always too busy working. That's why he lived with his nan…they were too poor to live on their own and his nan gained money from the government.

"Give it over, Temple." A boy spit in his face.  
"N-no. I need this money for lunch…"  
"Oh, do you?" A boy pushed him into a locker. "Two pounds? Is that all mummy could muster up?"  
"Shut up!" He growled.  
"What's two pounds going to buy? A bag of crisps?" The boy said amused. "Then what? Gonna beg someone for food? Like you always do?"  
"Hey guys, it's not his fault his mum's a waste of space who can't provide for him." Another boy added in.  
"Or the fact that his own father didn't want him."

At this point, Connor had learned that being quiet meant that he didn't get punched any harder than usual and that sometimes, just sometimes…he got to keep his money.

"Aw, you playin' the silent treatment on us, Connor?" The original boy laughed and punched his shoulder quite hard.  
"Can you lot just leave me alone?" Connor groaned.  
"What a baby," A boy easily snatched the two pounds to add in on their collection of 'Temple money' and they left him there by the water fountains.

Connor didn't move, he didn't care enough to move. He didn't go to the principle, she was the biggest bully of them all. She never listened to him, she favored the bullies. So there was just no point anymore, he wouldn't move 'till security demanded he go back to class. Which knowing this school, it was unlikely to be soon.


	4. C Cuddling

_**C – Cuddling**_

Connor didn't want much out of a relationship. He couldn't careless if he didn't get sex everyday or every week, he didn't care if they said I love you everyday, didn't care if it took forever to get to their first kiss, what he loved the most about relationships was cuddling.

He loved feeling the warmth of another person's body against his own, he loved being able to listen to them breath, to feel it, it was beautiful. The idea of a body so close to one another, arms draped around each other, to feel another's breath on his neck, to hear hearts beating, relaxed and calm…was wonderful and he craved it. He craved the simple interaction with another human being and he often pouted if he didn't get one.

"I love you," He whispered in Abby's ear, his eyes closing, finally relaxed after a long day.  
"Love you too, babe." She shifted in his arms to be closer to him, listening to his steady heartbeat.  
"I wish I could lie here like this forever…" He mumbled.  
"Me too." She only opened her eyes to kiss him.

And then…just softly and quickly, they just fell asleep in each other's arms. And everything was alright for those moments.


	5. D Dinosaurs

_**D - Dinosaurs**_

Dinosaurs were the very thing that held Connor together for so many years and it's funny to think that they may be the very thing that will kill him. Ever since his father walked out on him, the boy receded into fiction and knowledge. The more knowledge he had, the safer he felt. After his mother finally took him to Jurassic Park, he just fell in love. The creatures-they were spectacular, they were amazing…and to think they were of this Earth was just a fantastic. He used to always look at his mum and his grandmother and go everywhere they went 'Do you think dinosaurs walked here? Do you think I'm walking where a dinosaur stepped?' They always laughed and nodded.

Soon, dinosaurs were the only thing on his mind. Obsession took over, he researched until his mum demanded he go to bed, he started cataloguing them when he was fourteen, he had all the toys in pristine condition, posters, and several actual fossils he ended up finding. Of course his obsession died down so he had more room for other things that interested him, such as Doctor Who, Star Trek, and Battlestar Galatica, but he always kept that catalogue updated. He had to. It was the very thing that held him together through long nights of anxiety and insomnia, the only thing that held him together as his mum worked two jobs and his nan didn't talk unless he talked to her, just the only thing he really had besides his two friends Tom and Duncan.

Dinosaurs were the very thing that led him to Cutter which led him to the ARC. Due to his increased interest in that creature sighting, he ended up becoming a hero and while next to everyday he faces dinosaurs and nearly dies because of them, he'd never take one step back.


	6. E Eccentric

_**E - Eccentric**_

Connor was always just a tad bit eccentric. He had views that other people did not, he spent his time cataloging his dinosaurs or talking about sci-fi shows. He built gadgets and gizmos when he was bored and his clothing choice wasn't exactly what most would wear. The colors hardly ever matched and there was always a hat on his head, any kind really, but fedora and trilbies were his favorites. He could say; he was not ordinary.

He had always been judged, used for his genius ability. Bullies taunted him on and on about it all and often, his mum and peers would constantly ask him to repair things just so they wouldn't have to pay. It got tiresome, it got annoying…he shut himself out from everyone's life for a long while. Everyone except Tom and Duncan. They were the only ones that were able to understand.

"What are you building _now_?" Abby wondered, walking into his vast office.  
"I'm not actually quite sure," He laughed, turning towards her in his spinning chair. "but I hope it's going to be helpful."  
"You know what, Con?" She sat down on his lap with a huge grin.  
"Huh?" He raised his eyebrows, nearly surprised. But it was Abby, he shouldn't be by now.  
"You're my eccentric little genius, got it?" She kissed his lips. It didn't sound much like an insult coming from her mouth, not as it used to.  
"And you're my zoologist." He kissed her back.  
"Are you done building tonight?"  
"Oh yeah," Connor picked her up. "Shall we go to bed?"  
"Uh-huh," She only nodded.

If he got all this by being eccentric, he supposed it wasn't _all _that bad.


	7. F Father

_**F - Father**_

He rubbed her swollen belly, feeling the kicking of a human life. It was beautiful, it was wonderful, it was…it was just astonishing to think that there was a life inside of his own wife. To think he provided that life…to think he was going to be a father.

"Abby…I'm going to be a dad. I'm going to be a bloody father!"  
She laughed, giving him a kiss. "Yes, yes you are."  
"It's just-oh my god…I can't believe you're pregnant!"  
"I've been pregnant for six months, Con."  
"Yeah, but even still. It's hard to wrap your mind around." His hands wouldn't leave her stomach, he was entranced.  
There was a pause before anyone saying anything. "Are you scared?" She finally asked, her voice cracking a bit.  
"What do you mean?" His eyebrows furrowed.  
"Are you scared? Of being a father…of being a parent?"  
"A little…well a lot…are you?"  
"Terrified." She nodded, her eyes filling with tears.  
"You're going to be a great mother, I promise." He embraced her. "but if it makes you feel any better…I'm probably just as scared as you. Just the thought that I'm going to be in control of a human life…not a lizard, not a Diictodon…what if I make a mistake?"  
Another long silence and she sighed, her head still in his chest. "Let's make a vow, huh?"  
"What would that be?"  
"To start thinking positively about having a child. We're not our parents…we're not going to be like them, we're not like them now."

Connor nodded, kissing her head. "We're going to be brilliant…"

Because…he _wasn't _his father. He was going to be better, so, so much better.


	8. G Genius

_**G - Genius**_

He'd always hated the term. It made him seem better than everyone else, he was no better. It made him seem invincible, the great genius Connor Temple…he wasn't invincible. He was easily destroyed, easily taken down…he wasn't a genius. There was no such thing, everyone was smart. He cringed to even admit that the bullies he grew up were smart. They were athletic and had some great tactics.

But instead of appreciating everyone's smartness, they focused on ones who did well on a test. A pointless piece of paper to prove that you're a genius or not. Incredbily pointless. Not as if he wasn't proud, no, he enjoyed being smart…but it didn't need another name.

Everyone "oohed" and "ahhed" at the nine year old who had taught himself Algebra and read at the literacy rate of a sixth grader. The boy who could tell you all the creatures in the Cretaceous and half of the Permian era. They all pounded him with questions, which most he got right. He was like an animal in a cage, shown off to everyone to point at and be amazed. No one understood except Tom and Duncan, his only two friends for a very, very long time. And they only understood because they too were just a wee bit smarter than the average.

One time, he had pretended to be dumb…just to see how the other children felt, just so he could be normal for once too. He answered a whole worksheet wrong and watched mindless television all day and night, he stayed up late and tried to sneak out, he skipped out on doing his homework, but in the end…it was all boring. He didn't understand why. His brain couldn't have been wired that differently, could it have? He wasn't Sherlock Holmes…

The boy soon grew into a man, but he never grew into the title. He wasn't comfortable being called a "certifiable" genius. He never was…until Cutter called him that.

_The man smiled up at Connor from all the research papers and put his hands on his shoulders, shaking his head as if he had seen something that shocked him.  
"You, Temple…you're brilliant, a genius, dare I say."  
A grin made it's way onto his face and he nodded, taking in the information. "Am I, now?"  
"I don't know whoever made you feel like you weren't, but you most definitely are. This has to be the key to the Anomalies! Or at least one very small part to it-"  
"and even the smallest parts matter." Connor finished his sentence. "I'm glad you decided to stay on this team, Connor."  
"Yeah-I am too."_

The memory left him as soon as it hit him and Connor looked sadly at the floor, but then with just a small twitch of his mouth, he was smiling once again.

"I am quite the genius, aren't I?" He twiddled his pen and continued to draw yet one more blueprint for one more gadget to add to the ARC.  
"You are a genius," Turning around and seeing Abby in just her knickers made him antsy. He suddenly didn't feel like finishing up the work he was doing.  
"Am I? Because I thought I was your idiot,"  
"You are." She laughed. "But you're also my genius. It's confusing, but you're both at the same time."  
"Well, I'm glad you think so." He got off his chair and stretched, leaning towards her to give her a kiss  
."Of course I do. Everyone does."  
"Do they?" He asked and she just nodded, walking away towards the bedroom. He promised he'd join her soon, but first he just needed to think for a bit.

_Everybody, _everyone on the ARC team, everyone he'd ever met, just-everyone…thought he was a genius. It was the first time he realized; it wasn't such a bad thing after all. It was a title that he should be proud to hold, though always remembering that the others around him were smart too.

Connor Temple; the genius.

He could get used to that.


	9. BONUS LETTER: G

**Bonus letters will obviously be...the same letter used previously, but with a different prompt. I can't tell you exactly how many bonus letters there will be, there'll definitely be a couple popping up shortly. It's just because some words REALLY fit Connor and I just can't choose.**

**So without further ado,**

**BONUS LETTER: G – Grown-up**

If he'd known hats would fade, immaturity would cease, and he'd be an adult just because of one simple year in the Cretaceous, he probably wouldn't have gone on that mission. It was the fact that the man never wanted to grow up, at the risk of sounding like Peter Pan.

Growing up was weird, it was difficult, it was literally leaving behind half of who he was. He felt wiser, older, _different_. Superheroes and Star Trek didn't rule his life as they used to, there was important things to handle instead. Looking back, Connor never saw himself as much of a grown-up. When he was child, his plan was to never mature. It was much too fun swimming in ball pools and hopping around like a five year old hyped up on sugar for the first time.

But he never planned for a lot of things that happened in his life. He never planned for death, he never planned for falling in love, he never planned to get trapped in the very distant past…and those, those are things that just make you grow up.

At times, the schoolboy in him came out, but nowhere near as much as it used to. He didn't play with guns anymore, he didn't giggle as much, he was finally realizing his role as an adult. It didn't hurt as much as he thought it would, it wasn't terribly difficult…it just-disappeared in the past. One Connor Temple was gone and another was born.


	10. H Huggable

_**H – Huggable**_

As a young boy, Connor was always called a lot of things by adults. Adorable, perfect, kissable, amazing, genius, and of course…huggable. Old women couldn't get their hands off of him. Ruffling his hair, pinching his cheeks, kissing his forehead, anything and everything! Growing into the teens was an awkward phase, but for some reason…everyone still decided he was huggable. Tom and Duncan loved getting hugs when they were upset. Every time a sad episode of Doctor Who came on or Star Trek or whatever, it was Connor they went to. Maybe he was soft? He didn't even know, no one could fully articulate why they loved hugging Connor Temple!

And of course, there was the team who could barely get their hands off of him. Or-well, maybe that was an exaggeration. Still, Cutter hugged him whenever he was upset, whenever he didn't feel confident in himself, whenever he went into a fit of rage, the Scot was there to hold him and rock him back and forth, treat him like a child and play the father figure.

Then there was Abby. They used to be more distant, but hugs were still a common thing. Anytime he saved her life or just generally did something nice for her, she'd wrap her arms around his neck and they'd stay there for a good minute or two. Now, of course, there were different circumstances. For a woman who hadn't liked 'touch' since she was a child, she jumped at every moment to hug him, kiss him, play with his hair, anything. He loved it…but the hugs were certainly the best part.

Connor was sure each of the team members had hugged him at least once. Especially at the wedding night, there were hugs and kisses and drinks…it was wonderful. He couldn't help it, he thought with a cheeky smile. _He was so damn huggable!_

"Abs, you going to let go now?" He looked down at her, clutching his body.  
"Mmm," She acted as if she was putting some thought into it and finally her grasp loosened. "Just remember, no matter how huggable, you're always _mine_."  
He laughed and ruffled her hair. "Of course, baby. Wouldn't have it any other way."


	11. BONUS LETTER: H

_**BONUS LETTER: H – Hats**_

Hats were his safety. They were the only thing that could hide him effectively, the only things that made him feel comfortable. When his mum didn't know what to get him for birthdays and Christmas, she knew a hat never failed to make a smile appear on his face.

A lot of people never understood. A lot of people assumed it was for fashion, but it was the complete opposite. The item on his head literally just gave him a great deal of comfort. It hid his eyes, therefore it hid everything…

Over the years, he had ceased to wearing the object of comfort. Like when a little child stops sleeping with a teddy-bear or stops carrying around their baby blanket. He was growing up and it was showing in everything he was doing these days. But on special occasions, he still loved to pull one out and plop it down on his head where it belonged. Everyone around him would smile at the familiarity and he liked it that way.

The now twenty eight year old man looked down at a box. He gulped and opened the top…it'd been a long time since he looked at most of the stuff. It was filled top to bottom with items of Professor Nick Cutter. Looking at it still made him feel-sad. That was the only word he could muster up, that was the only word that described all the feelings. Just…_sad_. However, the object he was looking for made his lips twitch upwards and his eyes fill with happiness. It was just what he wanted on this day…

_A hat._

Cutter had given it to him long ago, it was a birthday present. The man was terrible with gifts, but he'd gotten at least one right. It was hard to go wrong with Connor. He could remember the day like it was just yesterday. When he closed his eyes, the scene was there. Perfectly vivid…he wished it was that way again. The old ARC team sitting in a pub, laughing, drinking…being normal human beings. It was the best Connor had felt in a long while, he was sure.

"_Cutter," Connor nudged his arm, watching the man turn from Abby to him.  
"Hm?" He wondered, taking another sip of his Scotch.  
"Everyone else has already given me my present. Abby got me fingerless gloves, Stephen gave me a book on girls and how to ask them out, Lester gave me the day off, Jenny gave me twenty quid…what'd you get me? I'm curious!"  
Cutter chuckled and threw his arm around him. "How about we ditch the present and I'll pay for your drink instead?"  
"Nah-uh! No fair! You got me something," The twenty three year old argued.  
"Fine, fine…I'll be right back. Just know now, I'm rubbish with presents."  
"I'm sure you did great," Connor called as he walked off to go to his car._

_Stephen looked over at him. "Don't know why he's so shy with it! Nick did a great job picking out your gift."  
"Did he really?"  
"Yeah, just as well as I did." He chuckled.  
"I hope it actually helps though," Connor shook his head. "if not, I'm going to return it."  
"I'm glad you appreciate it." Stephen punched his shoulder lightly. "You'll get her eventually, I'm sure."_

_Abby jumped in the conversation, as she so often did.  
"Get who?"  
Connor blushed. "Uh…there's just a girl I really, really like. She's beautiful and brilliant and adorable, even childish sometimes." There were too many times to recall that Abby had released her inner child.  
"She sounds great. What's her name?"  
"Er-Addie…Addie Baitland."  
"Oh, really?" She rolled her eyes turning back to Jenny as Stephen face-palmed. She had known Connor had liked her for a long while…it wasn't really that hard to tell when you lived with the man…but she couldn't allow herself to cave in. She-she had issues liking love…_

_Connor coughed to show his awkwardness and was thankful when the professor arrived again with something behind his back._

"_Well, you gonna show me or not?" He raised his eyebrows took a deep breath and pulled the present from behind his back.  
"Here, happy birthday."  
"My god…this must've been expensive!" Connor studied the hat. It was brown and had a leathery texture, it was fantastic.  
"Thirty quid, nothing too major."  
"I love it, Cutter. I don't know why you thought I wouldn't." He paused for a second. "Now I can give my gray one a break. I feel it's getting quite boring these days. Thanks, mate…"  
"It was no problem. I saw it and I just thought of you."  
"As you should have." Connor plopped it on his head and pulled the man into a hug. _

His eyes stared down that hat, as if he was scared to pick it up now…a lot had changed since those times. Too much…the team hardly ever hung out like that after Cutter's death. Scanning the hat, his shaky hands picked up.

"It's been a long time, old friend…" Connor said, placing it where it belonged, on his head once again. It felt just right. "Too long,"


	12. I Invincible

**_I – Invincible _**

It was a wish, a dream of his to be invincible, to even _feel_ invincible for just one single moment. To be able to go about life not worrying about getting hurt would be…just amazing. Unfortunately, he knew it was just his comic books talking and that he'd never be truly invincible…so he went about life getting bruises and bloody noses, no big deal. It was just part of being Connor Temple.

It wasn't until he got to the ARC, when he stepped foot on the field with that team…when he took down a dinosaur himself, when he grabbed Abby Maitland and admitted to loving her, when Abby kissed him…it all made him feel like he was the greatest man alive. It all made him feel like he was a superhero too, the ones he had memorized page by page, the ones he'd grown up with. Captain Britain and Iron Man, Captain America and Superman, all those characters he wanted to be like when he was young. Standing tall, ending the world's biggest Anomaly…was his moment to shine and shine he did.

Peeking at those superhero comics made him feel silly at twenty eight, but he couldn't help but take a look at an old Avengers copy. A grin spread across his face as he remembered the words that he read so long ago. "I'm just like you guys," He mumbled, turning the page. "So's the rest of the ARC…"

Lester was Nick Fury, Abby fit right into Natasha's place, Nick Cutter was Iron Man, Becker was Hawkeye, Danny was Thor complete with the Loki-like brother, Matt was The Hulk, he was Captain America…only better with technology, and everyone else worked with S.H.I.E.L.D.

Matt walked into the lockeroom and saw Connor just sitting there holding a comic book with a huge smile upon his face. He clamped his hand down on his shoulder. "The Avengers, aye?"  
"We're just like them, you know." He said, a bit scared of the reaction Matt was going to have. He was probably going to laugh.  
"Are we?" He raised an eyebrow. "Guess I can't argue, they're a pretty badass team. Who am I?"  
"The Hulk."  
"The Hulk? The big green monster?"  
"Yep," Connor smiled cheekily at the man.  
"Well, that's not very nice…though I'd look great with my shirt ripped off."  
"Yeah-safe it for Emily."

The two men laughed when the Anomaly alert went off.

"ARC team-assemble!" Matt decided to yell.

Connor well and truly felt he was invincible at that very moment, going to fight some creature that could kill him…but wouldn't because he was simply better than it. A creature he'd probably studied ten times in his lifetime and was ultimately weak at the hands of the team.


	13. I Icecream

**_BONUS LETTER I – Ice-cream_**

Every Sunday the boy would go out with his father after Church at eleven. His dad said it was a reward for being quiet, which he knew was quite hard for the boy who wanted to do nothing more than talk. They'd sit on the curb watching cars pass by, counting each color they saw. They'd talk and laugh and everything was so-perfect. The two of them would head home and his mum would be waiting with dinner, she'd lightly scold his father for giving him ice-cream before dinner, but it all just started to fall into a routine. It always seemed to Connor when he looked back, that they were fine during the day…maybe they were holding it all in for him…but it was nights when they'd explode into yelling. Maybe that's why he never saw it coming…

"Daddy," Connor said, looking up at him.  
"What, kiddo?" His father ruffled his hair, stretching a bit.  
"I aced my spelling test today! I even got the bonus word," He bragged.  
"Ah, did you? What was that bonus word?"  
"Crayon."  
"That's brilliant." The man grinned.  
"My teacher said that I went up a reading level. She said I'm in second grade reading now. I'm the only one in my class,"  
"Oh, that's quite exciting isn't it?"  
"Uh-huh!"

The boy rambled on about a few of his friends and then as his ice-cream was plowed through, the two of them left for home.

"Mummy, we saw three yellows, one green, five reds, six blacks, and seven silvers!"  
"Impressive," The woman commented, placing a plate in front of the young boy. "No blues today?"  
"Er…" The six year old tried to think. "Four!"  
"Four? Nice." She smiled and sat down herself. "What kind of ice-cream did you have today?"  
"Chocolate!"  
She looked over at his father. "And what size did he have?"  
"A small," He chuckled. "like it matters. The boy has an endless stomach."

Often at times, his mum would have to tell him to slow down when he ate his food. She actually encouraged his talking at the dinner table more than anywhere else because it got him to stop eating for a few minutes.

Abby looked over at Connor, he seemed…lost in thought. She knew to just give him time, that he needed to think. Memories came up a lot for him and the worst thing she could think of was throwing him out of those thoughts. She suffered from thinking of the past too. Time was all he needed. She bit into her mint ice-cream and looked at his plain chocolate one. It was melting in his hands, him only taking small bites out of it.

"Con," She decided to say as gently as she could.  
He looked up, momentarily confused, forgetting that he was now twenty eight years old and he was with his fiancé, not his father. Though, they were at the very same ice-cream place, the very same curb…they had visited his mum and stopped by here.  
"Your ice-cream. It's melting," She smiled and took another bite out of hers. "if you're not going to finish it,"  
"No, no…I will." He nodded.  
"What's with all the thoughts?" Abby asked.  
"Ice-cream…it's good." He licked it and laughed, remembering that's exactly how he used to eat it when he was little. He never liked biting it with his teeth, it made them feel cold and he didn't like that.  
"But really?"  
"My father. We used to stop here every Sunday after church. I'd get the chocolate, he'd get the strawberry…and we'd count the cars."  
"Sounds…fun. Doesn't seem like that bad of a guy,"  
"Yeah well, he's not your dad." He smiled a bit. "Thanks-for coming here."

In all honesty, most people would say that the ice-cream at this place…wasn't the best, but it was to him. It always would be.


	14. J Just

**J – Just**

**Just definition:**

**1. Honorable and fair in one's dealings and actions: a just ruler.**

**2. Consistent with what is morally right; righteous: a just cause.**

He was a loyal man, a fiercely loyal man. He'd stick behind anyone if he so much as liked them…that's why no one was surprised when a man named Philip Burton strolled in and Connor followed him closely behind in everything he did.  
Connor was after one thing and that was good in the world. Anything and everything he could do to help it, he'd do. That was his problem. He never saw flaws in anyone, he never saw flaws in plans, he never saw evil in anybody…and if anyone could replace his father and the praise he craved, he'd stick with them. He was just.

The man was like a little child when it came to praise. He needed it to function, he needed to be told he was brilliant, he needed to be told he was doing good, he needed to be told he wasn't the bad guy. As long as the person did that for him, he was just to them. Did everything they told him without having to be asked twice. Maybe that's why he fell to the hands of Philip Burton, no…there were no maybes to that. That was exactly why. The compliments, the idea of fixing the energy crisis, the gains he got from being with Philip, it all appealed to him. So he was loyal until the end. He couldn't help himself, it just happened.  
And Burton wasn't the only one he was loyal to. There was Abby…and he'd do anything for that woman. Pleasing her was more of a pleasure to him than it was to her. He could never think of cheating on her or leaving her…because he knew that she was the woman for him.

"Connor, you have to come with us." Abby begged, underground in the future.  
"No-just leave me here." He cried. He had learned that Helen was behind everything he was doing. He wasn't good, he was pure evil…and it hurt him. It hurt him so much…because Nick. He had trusted Connor with everything and he let it all slip from his hands as if it didn't matter anymore. But it did and it always would…  
"Everything, Connor!" She was to the point of yelling when she leaned down to his face and grasped it, she did this often when trying to prove a point to him. "We promised that everything we did was together and damn right I'm sticking to it."  
He was still unsure if he wanted to go, he hadn't been very loyal to anybody in the past year. What was the point? They'd be better off if he was dead, but it was as if Abby had the power to read minds and she whispered in his ear "Don't even think about it, Temple. I want to marry you someday…in fact, I want to marry you right after all this is figured out. Got it? We'll get married and start our own lives together…"  
He had to go then.

Connor Temple was just.


	15. K Klutz

**K – Klutz**

Connor was a natural and known klutz. Bruises and cuts filled his arms and legs in childhood, in gym he was always the first one down in a game, he tripped at his high school graduation, and he found ways to muck up everyday activities. Spilling tea all over himself, stepped on people's feet, broke dishes while washing them, dropped one too many things, and he always ran first face into things. It was as if he was just discovering his limbs every day or if he was a drunken man or a toddler just learning how to walk. Everyone got used to it quickly when he joined the ARC. They'd catch him before he fell or refused to let him have the guns or hold everyone's tea or coffee, they'd never let him go alone on a mission, anything and everything they could do to prevent his klutzy nature; they did.

Connor thought he would outgrow it, he thought maybe one day he'd be light on his feet and never get another bruise again, but of course the thirty two year old was sadly mistaken.

"Connor," Abby called from the couch, their second child growing in her.  
"What?" He'd been standing in the kitchen, getting a cup of milk for their daughter Sarah-Jane.  
"Can you get me food?"  
"What do you want?"  
"Anything, I don't care anymore!" She sighed, turning her attention back to the telly, knowing he'd find something to feed her.

He took a deep breath and looked down at his pride and joy. "Sarah, what do you think mummy wants to eat this time?" She'd always done this, make him decide what she wanted to eat. She especially did it during pregnancy.  
"I dunno," The four year old replied, a grin planted on her face. "Choco?"  
"Chocolate? Eh, let's see if we have any." He laughed, they never had enough chocolate in the house. The three of them alone could go through ten boxes a day if they had the time. "Of course we don't. I'll just make her a microwavable meal."

Sarah-Jane ran off, bored with her father's mumbling and jumped on the couch with her mum. He reappeared in the living room five minutes later, a smile on his face, looking at Abby cuddling with their daughter, their eyes glued to the screen.

"There's my girls," He said, but he hadn't looked well enough. He didn't think he needed too after two years of having the same exact set up. But of course he Connor Temple the klutz tripped over the coffee table and ended up face first in a plate of microwavable pizza.

Abby cracked up, so much that tears rolled down her face and she needed to cover her mouth with her hands before she finally stopped and reached her hand up to help him. Sarah-Jane had laughed too, but that wasn't a surprise. The girl was a giggle machine, especially when it came to her father.

Connor looked at Abby a smile disappearing from his face. "Sorry, babe."  
"No, it's fine. Are you okay?" Still, she needed to hold back her chuckles at the literally saucy Connor.  
"Pizza tastes good at least,"  
"Does it?" A smirk appeared on her face and she ran her finger across Connor's face and tasted the sauce. "I dunno. Tastes a bit sweaty to me,"  
"I'm sorry. The kitchen's hot." He rolled his eyes.  
"You're such a klutz, you know that?"  
"I know it all too well, Abs." He agreed.


	16. L Loser

L – Loser

Loser, loser, loser…

The word haunted him each and every day. By the age of sixteen, he truly felt like one too. He didn't have a car, he didn't have cool clothes, he wasn't interested in anything the popular kids were, teachers looked down on him and made sure to spend extra time with him because they thought he was emotionally disturbed, and he heard it everywhere.

Loser, loser, loser…

Picked last for every sports game, was never played with at recess, and no one particularly talked to him. His social life consisted of the other two losers, or so they would call them. They would talk about Doctor Who and Battlestar Galatica instead of sports, they would talk about dinosaurs before girls, they would debate against black holes and the such. Everyone said they weren't normal children…and they weren't.

Loser, loser, loser…

He was called loser up until he left university for the Anomalies. The people there called him one because he didn't go out partying, he didn't streak across the campus like an idiot or drink until he passed out in the pub, he didn't have a lot of friends, and he was just the same as he was back in high school.

Connor never stopped believing it. To him it was a fact and one that was most obvious to boot. He'd never been cool, he never would be cool, it was just the luck of being a Temple child, he knew.

"Daddy!" His son Nicholas came running into his bedroom, tears in his eyes.  
Connor immediately hoisted him up and looked for any injuries, there were none. "What's up, kiddo?"  
"Kids-kids in school called me a loser and-and they said they didn't believe me!"  
"Believe you about what?"  
"That my parents were true dinosaur hunters."  
"You can't go around telling people that, Nicki." Connor said, a small smile on his face as he wiped his son's tears away.  
"I'm not a loser though, am I?" The boy looked up at him hopefully with his misty blue eyes. His brown hair nearly covered those eyes…his father could tell that he was a perfect mix of him and Abby.  
"Of course you aren't. You're the coolest kid in the world and you know why?"  
"Why?" Nicholas perked up, a grin lighting his face.  
"Because you're the son of two real life dinosaur hunters and you're funny and you know all the best superheroes and kick all those guys butts if you wanted to!" He exclaimed, picking his son up high in the air.

Connor realized that in the eyes of his seven year old son, he was the coolest person alive and he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over him as twenty eight years of his life disappeared, all the insults, all the beatings, everything.

It was the best feeling in the world.


	17. L Laugh

L – Laugh

Even despite his father leaving and being raised as a poorer child, the man couldn't help but admit the fact that he laughed a lot. Especially when he was with his friends, Tom and Duncan. He was always going into giggle-fits with them. He couldn't help it, thinking about it maybe he saw it as some form of comfort. As long as he laughed, the more people thought he was okay, a normal child, not some type of freak show. Not a poor child that hated going home, not anything of the sorts. Just a happy teenager that had his friends.

So he laughed, he laughed until he couldn't, until his stomach hurt and his eyes watered, until his head hurt and he just needed to stop. His life was filled with laughter…until Nick Cutter died in his arms and his life changed forever, his mind, his body, his everything was just different.

It was as if the boy could not laugh anymore. Jokes weren't funny, Doctor Who only got a weak smile out of him, memories only made him cry, things simply didn't excite him anymore and he felt as if they never would again. But it was late one night, maybe two in the morning when him and Abby both couldn't sleep that he found a sense of humor once again.

"You still up?" Connor asked, turning towards Abby's bedroom door as it opened.  
"You are, obviously." She gave a small smile. "I can't sleep…"  
"Neither can I…it's all still-fresh in my mind." He shook his head, his hands starting to shake.  
"It's been months,"  
"Two…but I still can't help it. Maybe I've gone mad…"  
"Oh, you are not mad, Connor Temple!" She chuckled and pushed him, running away from her own paranoid thoughts of continuing on with the professor.  
"Easy for you to say, you're not in my head." He gave off a weak smile, only a small flicker in what used to be the Temple grin.  
"But come on, you aren't crazy."  
"How would you know? Maybe I'm loopy and you just don't know it!"

"Sure you are. Just as crazy as The Mad Hatter." Abby rolled her eyes.  
"Hey, you never know." He chuckled. It was the first one in a long time.  
"You know, I've missed that laugh." She told him gently. "It's nice,"  
"Really?" He raised his eyebrows.  
"Yeah." She nodded. "So, now that you're insane now, I guess I can't be your friend."  
"What?" Connor exclaimed. "Oh, that is so not cool!"  
"I'm sorry, I don't associate myself with them."  
"Abby, Abs," He whined, pushing her to see if she'd talk to him. She didn't, but a smirk was on her face the whole entire time. "C'mon, you can't ignore me now! You love me! Abigail," He was testing the waters now, a smile on his face.  
"Stuff it,"  
"Ahhh! You talked to me!"  
She shook her head, laughing along with him. "Shall I get drinks?"  
"Definitely!"

It wasn't much, in fact it sounded kind of stupid why he laughed, but he couldn't help himself. Besides, it was the start of living happier. That was always a good thing…


	18. M Museum

**M – Museum**

The boy was eight years old and he was on a school trip in a national museum. It was one of the most exciting things in his young life, as he looked at the exhibits a thought came to him. What if they were to come alive at night?

So he ditched his classmates. They wouldn't have cared anyway, no one paid attention to him…he was the invisible child. He was sure that maybe they'd notice he was missing when they got back to the school, but-that was a long time from then and he'd have just enough time to pull off the stunt before they came back to him, he was sure.

Connor snuck into the toilets and stayed there until he heard someone say they were closing. He smirked, his plan was working. He waited until he heard the janitor leave the bathroom after the initial checking, apparently Connor was lucky he was tiny and could find a place to hide and then he walked out towards the door. Hearing the janitor walk away, he took hold of the doorknob and pulled. It was locked…

He rattled and banged on the door, but no one was near him anymore. He broke down and cried, screaming for help, but nothing was working. Connor ended up going into a full-fledged panic attack realizing that no one would ever know he was in the boy's toilets at a museum. It had been a stupid idea, he yelled and kicked the wall, damaging his shoe. He didn't care…

It was three hours at the least when someone came running in calling his name. Two people, actually and a man with giant keys. His mum, his teacher, and a janitor. He hugged him mum tight, he was terrified. He never did like to be alone…

"Connor, what were you doing?" His teacher exclaimed.  
"I-I-I wanted to see if the exhibits came to life, I'm sorry…"  
"You were in the toilets for three hours?"  
"Uh-huh…" His grasp on his mother was tight as they walked out the door into the car.  
"Never scare me like that again, Mr. Temple!" The teacher told him and he nodded, climbing into the backseat.

He was left with a fear of museums…

And a fear of toilets. He refused to go and when he did, he refused to go alone.


	19. N Needy

**N – Needy**

Connor Temple was needy, he'd admit that in an instant. He craved constant attention, someone to talk to, and things that he never could quite have. When people didn't oblige to his needs in childhood, it became worse in his adulthood. If anyone had left him alone for a day, he'd become a nervous wreck and wouldn't know what to do with himself. Affection, attention, and a friend was what he needed…

Cutter understood this and gave him everything. He praised him and made him laugh, he hugged him when days were bad and always took his ideas into consideration, he was perfect. When he died, the boy's cravings came back. Hugs from Abby, jabbering endlessly to Becker, praise from Danny and Sarah, everything and anything that once came from the man who gave his life to his insane wife.

When it all stopped, when he went missing, it went missing too. His cravings ceased for natural instinct, his childish nature was gone, and it wasn't about what he needed anymore. It was about what she needed…he thought they'd stay forever like that; two different people.

Then Phillip Burton came into the picture.

And his needs came back.

"Abby, I swear I didn't mean any of it!" He screamed, a fighting match…they often occurred.  
"Why would you ever work with him?" She glared. "He's a total creep who uses people!"  
"He's my friend."  
"He's the worst friend you've ever had!"  
"You don't know him like I do!"  
"I know him well enough!"  
"I _need_ him, he's there for me, he understands me!"  
"What does he do that's so special? That's more important than me? Or the rest of the team for that matter?"  
"He cares about me, he needs me, he praises me, I'm a genius in his eyes and a loser in the team's eyes, even yours."

He stopped…so did she because Abby realized she had never given him the constant praise he so needed and deserved.

**It's been awhile since I posted, sorry about that! Anyway, do any of you readers have any ideas for O? I'm completely stuck!**

ent here...


	20. O Olypmics

O: Olympics

It was a huge deal in the Temple household, but not because Connor was excited. No. Abby was. She absolutely loved the Olympics, every year she watched anxiously, seeing if England had won, so when it came time for London to host them…she went insane.

She begged Lester to get them seats in the stadium to watch the opening ceremony, said she would work overtime, that she would do anything, she threatened him, and when all else failed; she gave him the puppy dog eyes and she had gotten what she wanted.

Connor just laughed at the excitement, he wasn't a sports person, watching it absolutely bored him, along with the opening ceremony. When Abby he dragged him along, he just groaned and went anyway. He thought it would be the most boring date of his life, but when it turned out to be one of the best, he was pleasantly surprised.

"Abs, this is super cool! It's a forty foot tall Voldemort!" He exclaimed.  
"Yes, I figured you might like that one…"  
"And JK Rowling is here! I'm technically breathing her air!"  
"Uh-huh," She nodded, chuckling a bit.  
"And oh my god, I heard the TARDIS!"  
"Connor, don't have a heart attack from all the excitement."  
"But I'm living in history! Soon, the Tenth Doctor will light the torch!" He knew that wasn't going to happen, but he liked the idea that an episode he had watched years ago, set in this time and place, was going on right in front of him and the thought that the Tenth Doctor could light the torch, made him more excited than anything.

Abby just rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to what was going on, though it was just the countries being called, she found that exciting, unlike Connor who couldn't stop babbling about all the references that had gone on tonight.

By the end of the night, when they piled in the car, he looked over at her and smiled.  
"I think I might like the Olympics this year."  
"I'm glad. During the Winter Olympics all you did was complain when I recapped it for you."  
"Yes, because that one was boring, but this one seems so promising!"

She brought that up the next week when he was back to being bored with the sports she was watching, he just rolled his eyes, sighing. Telling her that that had been different.

**Sorry for the long wait, I apologize. I'm going to try to keep up with my writing, I promise. **

**And thank you for everyone who gave me suggestions for this chapter. :)**


End file.
